From Margie Bonner (Outreach & Small Groups)

While I passionately pursue God during the week by making time in the morning with Charles Stanley's In Touch devotional; later in the day with the Insights for Leaders (A.W. Tozer) devotional on-line; and late at night (under the stars) listening to the (I call it "my") Daily Audio Bible podcast on my iPod, I really look forward to Fridays. That's when God meets me on the business end of my vacuum cleaner and through my iPod earbuds. I've really been loving hearing God's word through the insights of John Piper in the Desiring God podcast. That usually takes me through the quieter tasks of cleaning the bathroom. Lots of times from there I have a strong desire to praise God - often the sermon text will bring to mind a song or album loaded on my iPod and I'll play that, singing at the top of my lungs (the vacuum cleaner is running by then!) and with a thankful heart praising God through the dusting, vacuuming, and laundry of our home and family. I've always tried to be thankful as I cleaned - you know - thankful for a home to live in, furniture to sit on, beds to sleep on, but somehow now I actually look forward to what has become an intimate time with God - thanking Him for His son Jesus - thanking Him for the privilege of knowing, loving, serving, and sharing Him. And thanking Him for the next day and time in His presence - SATURDAY at the beach! But that's a story for another blog topic!